Improved shank-sthtener



Ended Staten @strat @twine ROGERS, OE sUDBuRY, ,MAssAoHUsETTsa' Letters Patent No. 102,401, dated Apr/il 26, 1870.

IMPROVED sHaNx-STIYPPENER..

'.l'he Schedule` referred to in these Letters lptent and making part of the sama To all whom it may' concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE HOUGHTON, of Hudson, and STEPHEN MOORE and HOMER Roenes, of Sudbury, all in the county ofvMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Shank- Stiifener; and we do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which. accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of our invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

In the manufacture of many kinds of boots and ,shoes it is customary lto'place between the insole and wearing sole, through the shank, a long piece called a shank-stiener, to give the requisite form and rigidity,v to the bottom of the boot, between the Wearing-sole and the heel.l This piece isgenerally made of leather, triangular in section, quite narrow at the center, and Haring from the center; to the opposite ends. Sometimes tbe shank is cut out from artificial leather or leather-board, but whether cut'from leather or leatherboard, there is a great waste 'of stock in cutting; and

The object of our invention is to so make the shank asto economize all of the stock used in its formationl This we accomplish by using a composition or 'plastic material, which, when-in a pulpy or plastic condi-v tion, may be molded i'nto form, and which, when molded, will soon become. sufficiently rigid, but will possess strength, flexibility, and elasticity enough to adapt it for use as a shank-stiener land 1 Ourinvention consistsin a shank-stiffener made of articial leather or other composition formed into shape in a suitable mold.

The drawing represents in plan, side elevation, and cross-section, one of our shank-stieners, though, as

the drawing can only denote the shape of the stiiener, it will l serve merely to illustrate thc form of the article to which our invention relates, showing at A 'the narrow center and widened ends, at'B the thickness from center to ends,and at C and D the triangular shape, in cross-section, at the center and at-the ends.

A suitable mold having been made, s ightly curved in longitudinal section and of irregular width and shape in cross-section from end to end, (the molding surface corresponding tliroughout with the irregular form of a shankstifener,) this mold is filled Wit-h the soft pulpy or plastic material otfwhich the shank is to be made, and pressure is then applied to solidify the material and expel the moisture.

We prefer to' use pulp like that from which leatherboardv orarticial leather is manufactured, but common pasteboard pulp will answer thepurpose, though not as well. Caoutchouc or the compounds thereof, or other gum-elastic material may be employed, but these materials are too costly for extensive use.

It will readily be seen that by ourv invention we not only save all waste, but that' materialvery much cheaper than leather may be used.

Ve'claim, as a new article of manufacture, shanksti'ifeners made' of.'paper-pulp, formed into shape in a mold, substantially as described.

Executed December 31, 1869.

. GEO.; HOUGHTON.

STEPHEN .MOORE HOMER ROGERS.

Witnesses:

SILAs H. STUART, LORENZO STRATTON.

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